Terminal for conductors.



W. GADKE.

TERMINAL FOR CONDUCTORS. APPLICATION FILED 1m. 22. 1916.

1 ,,%%%656. Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

WILL GADKE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TERMINAL FOR CONDUCTORS.

mamas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nova 2?, 1911?.

Application filed January 2-2, 1916. Serial No. 73,685.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM GADKE, a citizenof the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, havelnvented Terminals for Conductors, ofwhich the following is aspecification.-

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple, easilyapplied terminal particularly designed for use w1th insulatedconductors, the construction being such that the terminal will bemechanically as Well as electrically connected to the conductor so thatit cannot easily be detached.

It is further desired to provide a terminal which may be caused to makea satisfactory electrical connection with a stranded conductor withoutthe necessity for soldering or sweating it thereto, the invention beingparticularly adapted for use with conductors having a relatively heavysolid insulating covering such as rubber or guttapercha, although beingby no means confined to use solely with the same.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a detached perspective of a terminal constructed accordingto my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the terminal shown in Fig,1, illustrating it as applied to an insulated conductor;

Fig. 3 is a detached elevation, partly in section, illustrating aconductor with my terminal mounted thereon and showing the device withwhich it is designed to coact.

In the above drawings 1 represents an electric conductor formed of anumber of twisted wire strands usually of copper. This conductor has acovering 2 of rubber, gutta-percha, or other insulation such as isusually considered necessary for the safe distribution of electriccurrents of high tension. To provide a terminal for this conductor Iemploy a cylindrical metal structure in the form of a sleeve 3 having inone end a relatively large cylindrical cavity or recess designed to becomparatively closely fitted by the insulating material 2 of the comductor. In the opposite end of this terminal structure is a smaller andshallower recess 4 connecting with the larger cavity through a centralpassage of suitable diameter to more or less closely fit theconductor 1.

In applying the terminal to a conductor or cable, the insulation isremoved from a suitable length of the same and the bare conductor ispassed into the large recess of said terminal through the passage ofreduced diameter in the partition between the recesses so that the endof the insulation 2 closely fits against the bottom of said recess. Theextremity of the conductor is then upset or opened out in the cavity orrecess 4 so that its strands practically fill the same, forming a headcomposed of the laterally bent and more or less tangled mass of wire,the length of wire extended through the passage in the partition beingdetermined by experiment in order that it shall practically fill saidrecess 4:. Thereafter, even if considerable tension be exerted on theconductor, it cannot be drawn out of the terminal 3, since therelatively sharp bends in the individual wire strands prevent the head 5formed by the wires in the recess l from becoming sufficientlystraightened or changed in shape to allow its constituent wires to drawout through the comparatively narrow passage 6. In order to detachablyconnect the terminal 3 with another conductor 7, for example, the lattermay be provided with a receptacle in the form of a c lindrical sleeve 8whose hollow or cavity 9 is of such diameter as to be closely fitted bythe terminal 3. This latter has a pressed out lug or projection 10formed adjacent its rear end and is provided with any suitable number oflongitudinally extending slots 11 opening into its larger cavity so asto permit of its rear portion being sufiiciently compressed orcontracted in diameter to allow the projection after passing into thehollow of the member 8 to spring into an annular recess 12 formed in thewall thereof. In Fig. 3 I have shown the member 8 as provided with aheavy insulating case or cover 13 but this may be omitted withoutdeparting from my invention, the conductor being free to turn within thepart 3 with which it makes good electrical contact.

I claim The combination of a receptacle including a hollow metal sleevehaving an interior annular recess and an interior substantially sage ofthe partition and laterally spread in the second cavity to form a headpositioned to be. engaged by'the central projection of 10 the sleevewith -a body of insulation surrounding the conductor-and extending intothe first cavity of the terminal.

' WILLIAM GADKE.

